cristo - cada loco a su tema (each to his own), but as Dan knows since I preached it to him last winter, I really think people are missing the point when they go to México and then hang around those gringolandias like Cabo and Puerto Vallarta and Cancún. Those places are just set up to part you from your yanqui dolar, and are emphatically not México. Sure you can get cheap charter flights to them - well, that's good, but then get on a camión and get out of town fast.
An hour north of Cabo - 10-peso ride in '94, likely 20 now - there's a town called Todos Santos, quite an artistic place, many norteamericanos live there, there's a hill called Colina Gringa. The Hotel California there is supposed to be where the Eagles wrote the song of the same name. Very nice place, although I stay in the motel across and just down Juárez partly because it's cheaper, partly because it's owned by people I met, and partly because I didn't hit it off well with the owner of the HC. Whatever ... the town's worth seeing .... on Militar, the main drag, across and a little east from the bus stop there is a tacquería called 'Tacos de Pollo', owned by a guy named Pepe. Best roast chicken you'll ever see, real tortillas de maís [now there is a thing - all over the Baja if you look gringo they'll bring you those pasty tasteless US-style tortillas 'de harina', made from wheat flour, unless you ask for 'tortillas verdaderas' or 'de maís' ... not the same thing at all], all the fixings for a meal, and if you're really cool about it Pepe will bring you glasses so you can sip a little cerveza from the ballena you bought at the Depósito up the street.
Do not under any circumstances enter into an agreement with Pepe's uncle Jorge to celebrate his birthday with him, permanent liver damage could ensue.
There's a whole buncha art around, and surfing and horseback riding up the coast road north, but first ya gotta eat and sleep and stuff like that. No problema there. Lots of English around, many little kids speak it. Too much, imho. Todos Santos really is a bit of a gringolandia, but at least it's not as bad as Cabo.
Then there's Chiapas ezln.org - San Cristóbal de las Casas ... everybody really should spend at least a month around San Cristóbal .... and Palenque, the centre of the Mayas ... a friend runs a lodge near Palenque, right beside the ruins, called El Panchán ... more tomorrow if you're interested, I'm tired of typing ....... ¡Viva México! |
